Becoming an Exorcist
by x-Delilah-x
Summary: A young girl named Suzuki Keiko joins the exorcist cram school in True Cross Academy. With her, she brings an unknown demon called a shinigami, but this demon is very docile. Not only that, but she has very powerful abilities, and a special weapon that can be very useful to the exorcists-in-training. But can she be trusted?
1. Chapter 1

_"Keiko, who are you talking to?"_

_"My friend, of course! She's right here!"_

_"Oh, so you have an imaginary friend?"_

_"She's not imaginary! She's right here; you can't see her?"_

_"Oh, no, sweetie. Of course she's real. But an imaginary friend is a friend that only you can see."_

_"Oh. Okay!"_

_"You and your friend have fun, sweetie!"_

_"We will!"_

_"Keiko, who are you talking to?"_

_"My friend. Why?"_

_"You still have an imaginary friend?"_

_"Of course. Why would she leave?"_

_"Keiko, please, you're thirteen now. You should've grown out of that."_

_"What? You said imaginary friends are friends that only I can see. Why do you not believe me anymore?"_

_"That's because you were four. It's normal for that age; but you have to know by now that there's no such thing."_

_"But she's real! She's sitting right next to me!"_

_"Sweetie, it's really time to stop with that. It's getting ridiculous."_

_"Whatever. Don't believe me. See if I care!"_

Ever since I was four, there's been this girl who occasionally stops by and talks to me. She's not human; she's a demon. A shinigami. She's really nice, but no one believes me when I say she's there. She's real. There's no way I can be imagining her for so long! She's not here all the time because she works a lot. Her job as a shinigami is to take the lives of those who's numbers come up, and protect the lives of those who still have time before they die. There's some more to it, but that's the main part of it.

She's not the only shinigami out there. There are thousands of others. But according to her, she's the best there is. She's not cocky, it's just the truth, based on statistics. And not just the best stationed in Japan, but the best in the world. She told me that she comes to me to have fun, because she is very serious about her work. So any time she has off, she'll spend with me so she can be herself, have fun, and laugh.

I'm the only one who can see her. I used to think that she was an imaginary friend, but since imaginary friends aren't real, she has to be something more. She's also not the only demon I see. There are plenty of others, but they normally don't interact with me or anyone. They're small demons; ones who posses small things like dust.

She's real. I know she is. How could I hear her so clearly, in a voice that I've only heard from her, if she wasn't real? She sounds so sweet, and yet there's a hint of darkness in it. And when she's angry, it's vice versa. It fits her. Her name _is_ Bittersweet, after all. She's split in two, basically. One half of her is black and white, and the other half is pink and yellow. She looks like a cross between gothic and sweet lolita.

Recently, my parents have been making me attend therapy because they think I'm crazy.

"Can you tell me where your little 'friend' is, right now?" my therapist, Dr. Kanzaki, asked.

"She's not here right now. She's probably working." I answered.

"What does she do for a living? Is it a place we can visit?"

"No. She's a shinigami."

"Suzuki-chan, your mother and father are worried about you." he said sincerely, "You have to understand that this girl is a figment of your imagination."

"A figment of my imagination that has been around since I was four; who's never changed in appearence, voice, personality, job, or anything?" I gave him a questioning look, "Is that even possible?"

Before he could answer, I heard a voice behind me, "Keiko, you don't have to try so hard to make people believe in me." her sweet voice came. I turned around to see Bittersweet, bent over to my height, and smiling at me.

"B-but-"

"Now, now, it's only natural for humans to react this way to things they've never heard of." she said sweetly, "I am real, though, no amounts of medication can erase that fact."

"I know." I sighed.

"Suzuki-chan, who are you talking to? Is it your 'friend'?"

"Y-yes." I slumped in my seat a bit. I felt her gentle hand on my shoulder, and I smiled slightly. Dr. Kanzaki sighed.

"Oh, since your entering high school, I just remembered!" Bittersweet spoke again. I looked up at her, "There is a certain group of people who will believe you." she said.

I sat up, "Who?!" I asked, my eyes bright with excitement as I smiled wide.

"Exorcists." she said with a smirk, "Now, not even excorcists know about my kind, but they'll believe you if you say you see a demon that no one else sees."

"But won't they try to get rid of you?"

"They can't, even if they tried, so don't worry." she smiled, "But hey, why don't you join them?"

"B-become an exorcist?" I questioned, almost forgetting that I was in a therapy session.

"Suzuki-chan, what are you talking about?" Dr. Kanzaki asked.

"Yes. Demons that aren't shinigami strive to kill humans. It's a pain for us shinigami, so, not even we like them much." she explained, "Becoming an exorcist could be good for you! You already see the demons, meaning you've probably already had a mashou. Why not?"

"Okay... maybe I'll try." I said, looking down at my lap, "But, wait, what does me entering high school have to do with that?"

"I know a school- an academy. It's called True Cross Academy; they're, of course, accosiated with the True Cross Organization. They have this thing called an exorcist cram school. Just talk to the school director about becoming an exorcist, I'm sure he'll let you in."

"True Cross Academy?" I repeated, "I heard some girls talking about that school before the school year ended. I didn't know they taught-"

"Shh." she shushed me, "Other students, and those like your therapist, there, aren't aware of that factor." she sat on Dr. Kanzaki's desk, "The school year is starting soon. You'd better talk to your parents about enrolling. It's an expensive school to attend without a scholarship, but I think your family has enough money to cover the fee."

I nodded, and turned to Dr. Kanzaki, who has been sitting silent, and in shock; as I just had a full-blown coversation with something he can't see. It must seem odd, but it's hard not to believe now, is it? "Um, Dr. Kanzaki, thanks." I said, "But I actually have some things I need to discuss with my parents now." I stood up, nodded to Bittersweet, and left the room, Bittersweet following closely behind me.


	2. Chapter 2

I finally managed to convince my parents to let me attend True Cross Academy. Now all that's left is to talk to the school director, like Bittersweet said, to see if I can go to the cram school. I was nervous. What if I can't get in?

As if she could hear my thoughts, Bittersweet spoke, "Hey, don't worry. This guy is pretty easy. Trust me." she said with a smile. Just before I was about to knock on the door, she grabbed my hand, and stopped me, "Wait, I uh... I have to tell you something first."

I looked at her curiously, an eyebrow raised, "Yeah, what is it?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier, but, truth is, I purposely made myself only visible to you." she scratched the back of her head, looking guilty, "Honestly, it was because I wasn't sure if humans would be ready to know about us. But I needed a break from my monotonous life, and then I found you." she chuckled to herself quietly, "I thought it'd be fun to give a lonely little girl a friend. But recently I got orders from the boss-man to let myself be known, mostly to exorcists, just to see how they'd react to my kind's existence."

I stared at her silently, shocked, "So, you're just using me to get to exorcists now?"

"No!" she quickly answered, "No, I really do think exorcism is your path." she placed her hands on my shoulders, "To be entirely honest, I got these orders after I told you about True Cross."

"Okay." I said, "But didn't you tell me that shinigamis never lie?"

"Yes, that's true." she said, smirking, "But it's not like I lied to you all this time. I didn't say I _couldn't_ make myself visible to others. I said nothing at all, which technically isn't lying." she laughed.

I sighed, "Alright, I forgive you. But don't hide things like that from me again!" I scolded her, "You made everyone think I'm crazy!"

She laughed, "I'm sorry." she ruffled my hair, "Anyway, how about I talk to the director for you? I know the guy; I can get you in easily." I nodded quickly. She laughed, and knocked on the door after, I assume, making herself completely visible.

We heard a cheerful, "Come in!" from the other side of the door. Bittersweet mumbled something to herself that I couldn't catch, but before I could ask, she opened the door. We stepped inside. I was shocked at what I saw; the purple haired, clown-looking guy standing in front of us was the last thing I expected to see. I stood there dumbfounded, while Bittersweet looked at him as if he were nothing.

"Ah! Bittersweet! Nice to see you again~!" he had one eye closed, and he held up a peace-sign with his fingers, while the other hand was placed on his hip, "What brings you to my school?"

"This girl, here," she gestured to me, "Suzuki Keiko. I want you to enroll her in the exorcist cram school."

"Yes, yes, of course~!" he said, going over to his desk, and pulling out some papers, "But wait, why are you visible?"

"It's just an experiment Satan is doing." she said simply. The director nodded, and pulled out a key from his desk.

"Alright, Suzuki-chan, whenever you want to go to the cram school, use this key on any door, and you'll be taken to the building." he said, handing her the key.

"Any door?" I asked, taking the key.

"Yep! Any door!" he confirmed with a smile, "Be sure not to lose it!" I nodded.

Bittersweet found it best if we went to a door where no one was just to be safe. On our way there, she was telling me her plan on revealing herself.

"Whoever the sensei is, I want to get him alone to talk to him, and reveal everything to him or her first." she explained, "They will probably then tell the class about it, and then the higher ups once class is over." she smirked, "Or maybe he or she will keep it secret for a while to study me. Who knows?"

"Alright. But... you will look strange to others- I mean you are getting strange looks already." I said, looking around the hallway, feeling all the eyes on us.

"No problem." she looked down at me with a smile, "I don't exactly have to say anything."

I nodded, "Alright, looks like we've finally found a good place." I sighed of relief. It felt like we'd been walking forever. I pushed the key inside the lock, and turned it. As I opened the door, the scenery changed inside. It looked... different. Weird. As I stared in amazment, Bittersweet seemed unaffected by it.

"As expected of Mephisto." was all she said. She placed her hands on her hips, and began leading me to the class. Before she opened the door, she said, "I'm only going to be visible for you until I get a chance to talk to the sensei alone, okay?" she asked. I nodded. She then opened the door, and let me in first. All eyes turned to me as I entered, just like it always is in a class. There weren't many students here. I tensed up as I felt their eyes burning into my skin. She put a hand on my shoulder, and leaned down to my height, "It's alright." she whispered to me. I nodded, and made my way to an empty seat at a table that had no one else sitting there. Bittersweet passed by me, and sat on a table at the far end of the room. I wanted her to sit with me, but I couldn't exactly say anything now.

Not long after I arrived, another kid came in the class as well. He had a... dog with him? I was confused, but I kept quiet. He sat at the table in front of me, but in the seat that wasn't in front of mine. His ears were... kinda pointed? I've never seen that before. It was strange. Bittersweet also seemed to find it strange; she came up beside me, and was looking at him intensly, as if she were trying to disect him with her eyes. I wanted to ask what she thought, but I couldn't reveal her existence at that moment.

The sensei came in, and Bittersweet's consentration on the boy broke. He was really young... he looks my age. _Why is someone so young an exorcist teacher? _I wondered. After introductions, and after Okumura-sensei explained how those who haven't had a mashou are going to get one, the boy in front of me pretty much started... freaking out. I glanced at Bittersweet, and she seemed just as confused as I was. She placed her hands together, and pulled them apart, revealing a thick book between her hands. She flipped through the pages, and stopped suddenly. She began scanning the page, then she looked at me.

"It seems they're twin brothers. Guess he didn't know his brother was an exorcist, and he's just in shock." she told me. I nodded slightly, but barely enough for anyone to notice. She put the book away, and went back to her seat at the end of the room.

The animal blood got knocked off the table, and hobgoblins started appearing and rampaging. We were ordered to leave the classroom, and Bittersweet stayed close to me to fend off any hobgoblins that came near me. Okumura-sensei's brother stayed behind, though. We started hearing gunshots from inside the classroom.

I sighed, "Some first day." I said quietly, to myself, but I'm sure the other students heard.

"This is troublesome for my plan." Bittersweet said, leaning against the wall behind her, a finger was placed on her chin as she thought about what to do. I acted like I didn't hear her, but she knew I was listening, "Ah, I can probably lure him out by being mysterious." she said, "Hm... Cough once if you think that's a good idea, cough twice if not."

I coughed once. She nodded, "Now what should I do exactly?" she was probably just asking herself, since she knew I couldn't respond to her. "Oh, what if I appear in his dorm tonight? I'll make a noise, and he'll probably try to see what caused it." she said, "Better plan?Cough once for no, cough twice for yes."

I coughed twice. "Are you okay?" one of the guys asked me. He was tall, pretty tough looking, and had two-toned hair and piercings.

"Ah, yes, just a stratch in my throat is all." I said with a smile, "Thanks."

Eventually, the gunshots died down, and we were let back in.

I haven't seen Bittersweet for a few days. Not since the first day, actually, and we're already on the second week of school. She must've gotten busy with work, and hasn't had the time to go through with her plan to reveal her existence. Okumura-sensei hasn't said anything about a new demon discovery, so I assume she hasn't made a move yet. I wonder what would happen once she got found out.

Okumura-kun and Suguro-kun were having one of their little arguments again when Okumura-sensei hadn't arrived to class yet. Kamiki-san was trying to get them to shut up so that she could study before class, and Suguro-kun's friends, Konekomaru-kun and Shima-kun were also trying to get the two to calm down. Both of them can get pretty scary when they're angry, so I always try to keep quiet.

"Why can't you just be like Suzuki-san?" Suguro-kun said, "She's always quiet, you can learn from her!" I looked up from my book when I heard my name, "And she's a good student like the rest of us!" my eyes widened. Suguro-kun is one of the best students in the class. He works hard and is serious about it- it reminds me of Bittersweet. Getting a compliment, even if it's an insult to another, like that from him is kind of an honor. I smiled.

I saw Bittersweet slide through the door- she's invisible to everyone else but me, so she has the ability to seep through walls like a ghost. Something was off, though. She looked suspicious, like she was looking for something. She didn't even bother saying 'hello' to me. She pulled out her special book, and flipped through the pages a bit. Then her eyes widened, and she quickly put the book away.

Everyone's attention turned to her- she must've become visible to everyone. But why? She ran over Shima-kun, and pushed him back, proceeding to place her hands together, and quickly draw her special blue sword. She told me about that sword once: a special weapon granted shinigamis when they do special things in their jobs. This one is a deep blue sword that glows a bright blue, almost like Satan's flames, but there are no flames on it. It can't cut through humans, though, only demons can be affected by it.

Everyone stared in awe as she guarded Shima with the sword from an unseen... thing. Bittersweet told me once that when a shinigami is invisible, not even someone as high as a Paladin can see them. Only other shinigami can see them, but only as a black mist, so their identity is unknown unless they become visible. There must be a shinigami in here, but no one's about to die, right?

"Hey, who are you?" Suguro-kun spoke up, "What are you doing?"

"It's you..." Bittersweet said, her normally sweet voice was low and menacing, "Isn't it? Suicide..." Suicide? Suicide is Bittersweet's older sister. All I know is that Suicide is a rebel to shinigami rules. But I don't know much else other than that- Bittersweet always gets a pained look whenever her sister comes up, so I don't ask about her.

"What are you-" Suguro continued, but was cut off when Suicide appeared visible in front of Bittersweet.

"How clever you are, Bittersweet~." she said mockingly, her scythe slung over her shoulder, "How did you guess?"

"You're the only one rebelling so much! What are you trying to do?" she pointed the tip of the blade to her sister's throat.

"I'm only going to have a little fun, dear sister." she said, smirking. Just then, Okumura-sensei came in.

"Wh-what? What's going on?" he asked.

"S-sensei!" I finally spoke up, louder than I've probably ever been heard, "It's best if you don't get mixed up in this! Just let them be!" I said quickly. All eyes except for Bittersweet's and Suicide's were on me. Theirs were locked on each other.

"You know something about this?" Suguro-kun asked.

"No. I'm not letting you get yourself killed because you feel like 'having fun'!" Bittersweet shouted before I could answer. She put her sword away, and pulled out a scythe, one that's blade is smaller than her normal scythe. I remember that scythe as well- another special weapon that she recieved. It sends anything; people, demons, and objects to Gehenna with one swipe, "I'll deal with you later. Just get OUT OF HERE!" she growled and slashed into her sister, barely giving her time to react, and she slowly disappeared. She then sighed, "This was not how I wanted things to go." she mumbled. She cleared her throat, "Sorry about that everyone! This wasn't how I planned things out- I'm sure you're all curious. Let me explain!"


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm a demon unknown to humans called a shinigami." Bittersweet started to explain, "We're different from other demons. Our job is to take the lives of those who's numbers come up, and protect the lives of those who still have time to live. We can't be killed. We can't be exorcised. We can't be sealed off from any area. It makes sense if you think about it - If any of those things could happen, no human would die. And that's just not how life works. The only one who can kill us is Satan himself. He doesn't use his flames; not even that can affect us. There's a certain method that... not even a shinigami knows. Satan is the only one who knows what to do, and he isn't about to tell anyone else. There are rules. I can't reveal any information that is classified. Classified information includes anything about death; your death date, time of death, cause of death, and everything else about it. Not about you, not about anyone. I also can't kill a human that's not on my list, or that still has time to live. Breaking this rule will result in death. " she leaned up against a wall, "We're the closest to a human a demon can get in both appearance and personality. Though, we are more powerful than most demons. We're all different, just like people. Our body types differ, our clothing differs, our personalities differ, everything, really. Our names can also be considered strange as well. Most of the time, our names are words. Mine is Bittersweet, my sister, who was just here, is Suicide, I know a guy named Hazard, and another named Abandon, and then there's another girl named Dismay. Pretty dark names, right? What else can you expect from Gehenna?" she laughed, "A shinigami spends probably around ninety percent of their life in Assiah. And we don't even need a body to posses to cross over, either. In fact, we don't even have the power to posses anyone or anything anyway. We can teleport, fly, turn invisible, and only make ourselves visible to a certain person. When we're invisible, not even a Paladin can see us. The only ones who can see us are other shinigami, and they only see us as a black mist, so identity is still unknown." she thought for a minute, "That's pretty much the basics. So, ask away if you need to know something else."

"If you can't be exorcised... can you still be hurt by things exorcists use?" Okumura-sensei was the first to speak up.

"Sometimes. Things like holy water and chants won't affect us. But bullets and swords can hurt, they just won't kill us." she said, "Oh, but, shinigamis are trained to not express pain. Not in facial expression, not in voice, and not in body language. We ignore it completely, and move on."

"So that girl in here earlier... what happened? What was that?" Suguro-kun asked.

"Ah. That was my sister, Suicide." she looked down at her feet, "She rebels against the rules all the time. She's been suspended more times than I can count. This is the first time she's tried to cross a line that would get herself killed."

"Suspended?" Okumura-sensei asked.

"Suspension, for us, is when we break a rule that isn't bad enough to get executed." Bittersweet explained, "The price for that is getting turned into a human for at least a week or more, depending on what you did."

"So, what do you do when you kill people?" Kamiki-san asked, her arms crossed across her chest.

"Well, after a shinigami graduates from training, they recieve this big scythe. I call it a 'default scythe'." she chuckled, "Whenever we slash through a human with it, it painlessly removes their soul, taking their life. We look into the soul, and review their lives. Then we determine if they're good or bad, and send them to Heaven or Hell."

"And how can we trust you enough to know your judgement is honest?" Kamiki-san asked again.

"Simple. We're trained not to lie. Ever. Lying is against the rules, and can result in up to three months max suspension, depending on the lie."

"How old are you?" Shima-kun asked. Typical of him.

Bittersweet gave him a weird look before she answered, "Time-wise, I'm eleven. Physically, I'm eighteen. In reality, I'm ageless." _That's right. Bittersweet has looked the same ever since I was four. She hasn't grown or changed at all._ I thought. She'd told me before that when she was first created, she had the body of a nine-year-old. It took her one year to grow to how she is now.

For a while, all that was asked was mostly poinless questions about her, her species, and how they live. Finally, one last question was asked, "How do we know we can trust you?" Okumura-kun asked. It was the first time he'd spoken up since she appeared.

She stared at him for a moment, her face blank, and then she said soft and sweetly, "You don't."

"That doesn't sound very convincing." his voice rose, and he stepped forward.

"I don't promise my loyalty to anyone. Not you, not Satan. No one." she said simply, "Whether you trust me or not is your own choice." she smiled, "But, reguardless, you'll have to get used to me sticking around. Because, uh," she jumped up into the air, flew over to me, and put her arm around my shoulder, "Keiko and I are a pair."

I looked up at the demon beside me. She seemed proud to be one with me. It made me feel happy - I finally had a friend that I chould show off. I smiled.

"So, you did know about her?" Suguro-kun said, turning to me.

"Yes." I said, leaning into Bittersweet's shoudler-she's really tall, "I've been friends with Bittersweet since I was four." I said proudly.

It's been a week since Bittersweet revealed herself. Okumura-sensei hasn't said anything to the higher ups yet, that we know of. Mostly, he's used her for stronger explainations on demons than he can give. Though, of course, she's not always around. A lot of the time, she's working. It's always been that way.

Whenever she's in class with us, she's how she always is. Joking around and laughing, making fun of others and messing around. I don't think anyone realizes how hard she works every day. When she's not with us, everything goes back to normal; Okumura-sensei teaches, Okumura-kun slacks off, Suguro-kun gets on his case, and his friends try to cool him off.

When she's around, not much changes, but she tends to keep everyone in control. After all, her bitter side can be... creepy. All the while, she seems to be keeping a close eye on Okumura-kun. She's not telling me why, but I haven't exactly asked, either.

Shima-kun also seems to have a thing for her, but... what girl _doesn't_ he have a thing for? He's flirted with me before, but I normally ignore him. Bittersweet finds it fun to play him on, and then shut him off. He doesn't seem to catch on, though.

It was lunch time. Bittersweet and I went to our usual spot at the usual tree, where I ate the bento I made the night before, and she sat there, and we just talked. We were laughing and joking together like we always do, when Okumura-kun came by.

"Hey, Bittersweet, I need to ask you something." he said. She nodded, giving him the go, and he sat down beside her.

"You work pretty closely with Satan, right?" he asked, keeping his eyes in his lap.

"You could say that, yes."

"What's your personal opinion on him?"

Bittersweet seemed shocked at this question. He sounded really serious, too. Why would he want to know something like that? "Uh, well, I think he's a..." she seemed sort of stumped at this. Was it even something she thought about before? "He's not... _bad_, per se. But he's not _good_ either."

"Can you be more specific than that?" he finally looked at her.

"He's a dick. You play by his rules, or die, basically. They're not hard rules to follow, but still." she explained, "He's got a horrible temper, and he gets angry and forceful if he doesn't get what he wants." she spoke a bit louder as she said that, "But, on the other hand, if you're someone of high standing like I am, you get... better treatment." she rested her head on her fist, which was propped up by her leg, "I don't like him, though. He's a selfish bastard. But uh, why? What do you think?" she turned the question onto him.

He stayed silent for a couple of seconds, and then spoke, "He killed my father. That's all I know, and that's all I need to know to hate every fiber of him."


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, Bittersweet, what kind of salt can you put on the ground to block evil spirits from crossing the room?" I asked, working on my exorcist homework in my dorm room. The girls I shared it with were out grocery shopping, so I was free to work on it, and talk to her.

"Rock salt usually works for that." she answered, somewhat distracted by her own work. Only a few minutes passed before she spoke up again, "Do you think there's something strange about Rin?" she took her eyes off of her book and paper, and looked at me.

I looked up from my own paper, "Uh... I don't know. Why?"

"He asks me stuff about Satan a lot." she said, leaning back in her chair, "And when he gets angry, sometimes I'm just expecting him to transform into something... inhuman."

"Eh?" I raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying he's a demon?"

"I'm not even sure." she looked down at her book, "He's listed in my book, but it says his biological parents are unknown. But even an adopted child has biological parents listed."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with Okumura-kun. You're just over thinking!" I told her. She nodded, but she looked unsure. Both of us turned back to our work.

We recently got a new student- a young, pretty girl, named Moriyama Shiemi, who seems really drawn to Okumura-kun and Okumura-sensei. She's really... awkward? But she's sweet, and everyone seems to have taken a liking to her. She was also quick to accept Bittersweet, unlike the others, who took a couple days to get used to her hovering around class, and turning a lot of the lessons into jokes.

But now the test to become an Exwire is coming up. There's a training camp coming up for it, so we're all decided what meisters we're aiming for, but I couldn't decide.

The guys were all talking about what they were going to be. I overheard Suguro-kun wanted to be an Aria and Dragoon, and Konekomaru-kun and Shima-kun wanted to be Arias as well. Okumura-kun said he was going to be a Knight, and it seems Kamaki-san was going to be a tamer. What could I be?

"Something wrong, Keiko?" Bittersweet asked, probably sensing my tension, as I really couldn't figure out what I wanted to do.

"What meister could I be?" I said.

"Hm..." she sat on my desk, "You don't really seem like a Doctor type." she thought aloud, "How are you with memorizing chants?"

"I don't think I'll be a good Aria." I mumbled.

"Alright, then, if you want to use a weapon, I can teach you that." she said, "I'm a master with every weapon handed to me." she said proudly, "Or, you could be a Tamer."

"A Tamer?"

Bittersweet slid off my desk, and bent over to my height, "Yeah. I can't be a familiar, but you could probably tame another demon easily." she propped her elbows on the desk, and held up her head, "You'd look pretty cool with a demon by your side. And even cooler if you handled a sword as well!" she started going off into her own little fantasy, "I love swords- they're not too heavy, and they cut so well!" if this were an anime, her eyes would probably turn to hearts right about now, "It's always nice when you cut into someone, and it comes out nice and clean~!"

"Geez, I guess even docile demons think like that." I said, chuckling, "A Tamer and a Knight, then?"

"Yes! I get to teach you all about swords now!" she cheered, probably a little too loudly, because now all eyes were on her, "This will be so much fun!" her facial expression suddenly changed to a blank one, and she sighed, "I can't believe you just reminded me of that. Who do you think I am? Suicide?" she said, rolling her eyes.

I could tell everyone was suddenly confused, but she didn't seem to notice, "Yeah, yeah, I know. When has anything ever held me back from my work? Geez, save it for someone who actually needs it."

"Uh, Bittersweet, who are you talking to?" Shiemi-san asked. Bittersweet turned around, and noticed everyone staring at her in confusion. She laughed.

"How do I say this without sounding entirely creepy?" she thought for a moment, "Yeah, there's no way around it. See, I always have contact with Satan. It's part of my job." she explained, "He can.. talk to me through my head. Now, if I were in Gehenna right now, I could respond in my head, but since I'm in Assiah, I have to speak out loud."

Everyone was silent.

"Would it creep you out even more if I told you he could also see through my eyes?"

Still silence, until I broke it, "So.. does that mean... When you shower, and you look down at your body, or in the mirror before you get in... he sees you, too?"

She quickly threw herself around to look at me, her eyes were wide. I bursted out laughing. Frankly, this was the loudest I've ever been... in my life. "K-KEIKO!" she hugged her chest, "M-Maybe I should _accidentally_ walk in on you in the shower, then!" she said, emphisizing on the 'accidentally', hinting that she meant 'purposely'.

I stopped laughing, "You better not!" I stood up, and chuckled a bit. It's been a while since we talked and joked like this- the class has been stealing my friend away. I missed this.

"Y-you know, the more I think about it, I think I'm more creeped out than this class now." she said, laughing, stilling hugging her chest. Her eyes looked up, as if she were listening to something in her head, "As if I trust you, stupid demon!" she said.

"Ohh, is he trying to deny it?" I asked, smirking.

"Yes, in fact, he apparently is a respectable young male, and doesn't _dare_ peep on females." she said sarcastically, and laughed again, "You should hear him, trying to convince me that I'm wrong~!"

"Yeah, no thanks. I'd like to live my life without hearing him talk." I backed away.

"I never thought I'd ever hear Suzuki-chan actually using her voice." Okumura-kun said in an amused voice. I looked at him. He smiled, "You're too shy. You should joke around, and be like that more often."

I felt Bittersweet's arm wrap around my shoulder. I looked up at her, and she smiled down at me, "He's right; it's been so long since we could openly talk and be friends like this." she ruffled my hair, "I missed it. I'm glad I could bring that side of you out again."

**A/N: **I thought this thing could use a light-hearted chapter showing the true friendship between Keiko and Bittersweet, so here we go!


	5. Chapter 5

"Shoot. I forgot that it's my turn go shopping." I groaned as I looked in the mini fridge that's in my dorm room for something to drink. All that was left was a couple water bottles labled with the names of my roommates. All that's left for me was tap water. I sighed.

"Sorry, I guess it's sort of our fault for not reminding you when you've been so busy and distracted lately." my roommate, Takano Sayumi, said apologetically as she finished painting her nails.

"Nah, it's fine. I'll just go now while I have the time." I stood up straight and closed the mini fridge door. I noticed Bittersweet, who was only visible to my eyes, sitting on my bed, and giving me a questioning look. Soon enough, she looked back down at her book; she was probably reviewing her schedule for the night.

Takano-san put the nail polish bottle back in her makeup box. "You sure about that? It's already passed nine." she said, swinging her feet off her bed to face me.

I grabbed my hoodie, "Yeah, it'll be fine. I'll just be an hour or two." I said, pulling my hoodie on, and zipping it half way, "I'm not as weak as I look, so I'll be okay." I grabbed the small notebook that we use to write down things that we want or need for everytime we go grocery shopping, and put it in my pocket. It's true, though, that I wasn't weak. Not only has Bittersweet been teaching me swordsmanship, but she's also been teaching me some martial arts. I can defend myself if need be.

"Fine, but if you're not back by midnight, I'm calling the police." she called out to me as I closed the door. I shook my head and chuckled just before the door closed completely.

I noticed that Bittersweet followed me out. She looked a bit nervous about me going alone, but I'm sure she knew I can handle myself. "How many people do you have tonight?" I whispered, careful not to let anyone but her hear me.

"Ten. All of them are pretty close together time-wise." she said, her arms crossed against her chest, "So I can't go with you."

"That's alright." I whispered, "I can't do it tomorrow, though. My day is full." There was a lot going on since the Exwire exams were coming up. I had a lot of preparing to do.

"Okay, fine." she sighed, "I'll be off, then. Be careful." she waved to me before disappearing.

I hurried out of the store, two bags on each arm, trying to get back to the school quickly. I was tired, and I still had some homework left to do. I wasn't sure how late it was, but if I didn't hurry, I wouldn't get a lot of sleep, and then I would be exhausted tomorrow. It's never good to be exhausted on a busy day. I reached into my pocket for my phone, careful not to drop my bags, or anything inside them.

It was almost eleven. I sighed, and put my phone back into my pocket. Right as I turned my head to watch where I was going, I bumped into someone. I stopped, and lowered my head, "I'm so sorry! Please excuse me!" I said quickly. I turned around to continue walking, but my arm was grabbed.

"Oi, who the hell do you think you are?" the man's voice was angry. Crap.

I turned my head, there was two other men with him, "I'm sorry. I'm in a hurry." I said genuinely, "I didn't mean to bump into you."

"Yeah? Well maybe you should watch it!" he snapped. His grip on my arm got tighter, and I winced at the pain.

I clenched my hand into a fist, ready to punch the guy if I had to, "I said I was sorry. Please let go of me."

"Do you think being polite will get you out of this?" he chuckled.

"Hey, she's a cutie, ain't she?" one of the others said. My heart started to race. There was no one else on the street, and all the stores nearby were closed, so no one was in them either.

"Let go of me!" I shouted angrily, hoping maybe they'll back off. But instead they laughed.

"Aw! She thinks she's being tough!" the man holding my arm said between laughs.

"Shall we teach this little girl what tough is?" the other said. I had to think fast. Sure, I knew a little martial arts, but me against three big men? I'd never be able to take them all on. I was in a panic, so I did the first thing I could think of. I raised my foot, and trusted it forward into the man's crotch. His grip on my arm released, and he fell to his knees. I took off running as fast as I could. I didn't even care anymore if I dropped anything.

"Oi!" I heard the other two yelling after me. I could hear their footsteps behind me, and soon enough, all three of them were tailing me from behind. I tried to pick up my pace, but I was already too tired to go much faster. I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes as I pressed on, hoping I'd reach a town, or find someone, anyone, walking wround.

**Bittersweet's POV**

I had about a half an hour before the next person, so I thought I'd join up with Keiko for the time being. She should probably be on her way back to the dorm, if she's not there already. I glided through the night, consentrating hard to find where Keiko is. Finally, I found her soul. _Hm? Why is her soul moving so fast?_ I wondered. I can sense the souls of anyone I try to find, that's how I find the people on my list when it's their time to die. I can normally sense the movement of them, too, if they're walking, running, driving or however they're moving, because their souls move along with their bodies.

I consentrated harder to find her surroundings while I started heading over to her. I sensed three other souls close by her, moving at the same speed as her from behind. _Is she being chased?_ My eyes widened. _Those three souls. They're definitely not good._ I confirmed, looking deeper into their souls. I sped through the air, trying to reach her faster. As I got closer, I could see the three men chasing after her.

"Think you can get away from us, eh?!" one of them called out. They were pretty close behind her. If she doesn't go faster, they'll catch her. _What do they want her for, anyway? _I thought, glaring at them. Keiko turned left. _Wait, it's a dead end that way! Shit!_ I clenched my teeth together. I heard them laugh as if they knew they had her now.

**Keiko's POV**

I had dropped all my bags earlier on. They were slowing me down, so I had to get rid of them. But I just made a terrible mistake; I turned left, into a dead end. I mentally cursed myself as the brick wall showed up in my vision. There was no way I could jump over or climb up. I'm a goner. I stopped at the wall, and turned around. I stood there, terrified, frozen, unable to move or think. The tears poured out of my eyes as I thought about what might happen now. But then...

Bittersweet landed in front of me.

"Oi, who are you?" one of them asked angrily.

"Stay away from her." her voice was dark; lower than I've ever heard it. It almost sounded like a growl.

They laughed, "And what are you gonna do, little missy?"

Bittersweet chuckled, "I don't think you know who, or shall I say, what you're dealing with here." she raised her fist, and punched the guy in the middle, the one who grabbed me. Before the other two could react, she jumped up, and threw both of her feet forward, kicking them in the stomach, and sending them flying into the ground. She landed easily back on her feet. She walked over to the first man she punched, "You can either back off now, or I can beat you to a bloody pulp. Your choice." her voice went back to the sweet one she always talks in. If I know her well enough, she probably smiled sweetly after saying that as well.

"Go to Hell, bitch!" he grabbed her arm.

"Oh, I've already been there." she giggled, "Nice place, really." she yanked her arm free easily, as if he had a loose grip. Even he seemed shocked by how easily she got herself free, "It's not as pretty has the human world, but it _is_ my home~!"

"H-hey, man... We should get out of here." one of them told the man Bittersweet was talking to, "She doesn't seem human, man!"

Bittersweet laughed, "No, of course I'm not human." she stretched her arms behind her head, "I thought it was quite obvious that I'm a demon- you don't stand a chance!" she sounded cocky, but it was true. No Paladin, nor any level of demon can defeat Bittersweet, or any shinigami for that matter.

But of course, that doesn't mean they're fully aware of everything. One of the other guys slipped passed her while she was distracted. He grabbed me, and put a knife to my throat, "B-Bitter-" he pressed the blade closer to my throat as I tried to call out. Of course, she already heard me.

She turned around. Her eyes widened for a moment, but then she glared at him angrily.

"You get outta here!" he shouted at her, "Or I'll kill this girl you seem to like so much!"

Suddenly, her pink and yellow side turned black and white. My eyes widened. I've never seen that happen before. But instead of her eye turning white like her other one, they both turned red. I felt the man's hands shaking as he gripped my shoulder and the knife tighter.

She placed her hands together, and quickly threw them apart. Her scythe appeared between her hands. _She's going to kill them._ I thought, _But if she does that, she'll-_

"W-wait, Bittersweet, don't!" I called out, but it was too late. She slashed her scythe straight through the man that was holding me, and without even giving his soul a second glance, she slammed it down into the ground, sending him to Hell. I gasped. _No..._

She then turned around to the other two, who were frozen in horror. "Wait! Bittersw-" I tried to stop her, but again, it was too late. She killed the other two, and put her scythe away. She fell to her knees, and I ran over to her.

"B-Bittersweet." I gently shook her shoulders. Her pink and yellow side returned, and she looked down at me.

"Keiko, are you alright?" she asked softly.

"Y-yes, but..." the tears rolled down my cheeks, "You... You killed three men!" my voice cracked as the tears fell faster.

"Oh, right. I don't know what came over me." she said, holding her forehead in the palm of her hand, "That's never happened before."

"IDIOT!" I shouted, crying harder. Her eyes went wide as she looked at me, "YOU KILLED THREE MEN! THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE!" she said nothing, "Y-you're going to die." my voice softened as I struggled to ge the words out through my tears.

Bittersweet placed her hands on my shoulders and smiled as she pulled me closer. Her arms wrapped around me gently, and she softly stroked my hair, "Shh," she cooed, "I know what I did. I know what happens now."

"N-no! I..." I clenched my fists, "I don't want to lose you!"

"I'm sorry, Keiko." she said softly, pushing me away by my shoulders, "It'll be alright, though."

"No. You can't leave me!" I cried harder, and my breathing became shaky. She chuckled, "Wh-what?"

"Nothing." she said, "It's just that... who would've ever thought that... I'd be killed before my sister."

"Sh-shut up."

"I guess I should go to Gehenna and get what's coming to me, right?" she was smiling, but I could tell she was sad. I knew she didn't want to go. I couldn't speak, "I always thought that the time we'd say goodbye... would be when you're on your deathbed."

"P-please... don't g-go." I grabbed onto her shoulder and the tears poured faster, "I don't.. I don't want to let go."

"You'll be okay. I'm not your only friend anymore." she lifted my head with her finger, "You'll be an amazing exorcist one day. You'll have a great, loyal familiar, and you'll be the best Knight there is."

She wiped my tears, "Don't look at me like that." she groaned.

"I'm... I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too." she hugged me tightly for a moment, and then stood up, "Goodbye, my friend."


	6. Chapter 6

I almost didn't want to get out of bed, but I knew I had to. Takano-san, and my other roommate, Shinozaki Haruka, were shaking my violently, and yelling at me to get up, but I refused for a good, long time. Eventually, I stopped resisting just in time to get into my uniform, and get out of the door. I knew I had a lot to do, but... it all seemed pointless now. I don't have a teacher for swordsmanship or martial arts anymore. I know I could use the academy's instructors, but no one's better with weapons and fighting skills than Bittersweet.

And that's not the only problem... I don't have my best friend anymore.

I didn't brush my hair or teeth before I left, and I didn't even eat. My uniform was obviously lazily put on; some buttons on the shirt were out of place, or not buttoned at all, and the vest was wrinkled and lazily pulled over the shirt. I hardly even bothered with the tie. I just tied it like a shoelace around my neck. I probably looked like a wreck, but I didn't care. By the time I got back to the dorm, Takano-san and Shinozaki-san were already asleep, so I was able to just cry myself to sleep. I didn't get the groceries, nor did I finish my homework.

But I didn't care anymore. All my motivation was gone. Normally I'm a hard worker and a perfectionist. I was always too shy to make friends, so I secluded myself from everyone, and focussed on my work. I did all I could to be perfect for everyone. But I was still always lonely. When Bittersweet came around, she gave me confidence to do even better, with the added bonus of having a friend who could always be there for me.

The entire day I got "This isn't like you, Suzuki-san." from all my teachers, but I didn't feel bad. I didn't care.

Once it was time for the cram school, I dragged myself to the class. I didn't want to face them- the only people who knew about Bittersweet. I'd have to tell them but... I don't want to say the words. I slowly opened the door. It seems I was the last one to class. Usually the last one is Okumura-kun. Guess this thing really slowed me down.

All eyes were on me, but I kept my face hidden behind my bangs. Being around them made it harder to hold back the tears. Okumura-sensei seemed shocked that I was so late, as did everyone else. I was always on time, if not early. Heh, next to Suguro-kun, I was probably the best in class.

I slumped in my seat. I blocked out Okumura-sensei's voice. I didn't want to listen. I didn't want to hear about demons. I just wanted to disappear. I wanted to be forgotten so I could drown myself in sorrow, and never be missed.

Suddenly, a worried male voice broke through my thoughts, "Suzuki-chan, is something wrong?" I looked up with dead eyes. Okumura-kun was standing beside my desk, a concerned expression on his face, along with Suguro-kun and Shima-kun on either side of him. Okumura-sensei wasn't in the room.

"Where'd Okumura-sensei go?" I asked, my voice was low and a bit scratchy.

Suguro-kun and Shima-kun exchanged glances, and Okumura-kun raised an eyebrow, "Yukio was called out for something ten minutes ago." he said, "Man, I thought I was bad. This isn't like you, Suzuki-chan. What's up?"

I didn't speak. I couldn't get the words out. I didn't want to say them. I wasn't sure if I was just in denial, or if it was just too painful. Or maybe both? I almost didn't want to believe that my friend of ten years is gone forever. I just lowered my head and fought hard against the tears that were fighting to break free.

"Oh," Shiemi-chan turned around in her seat and faced me, "I almost forgot, I had a question for Bittersweet. Where is she?" she asked, a sweet, unknowing smile on her face. Before I could say anything, she spoke again, "If she's working, do you know when she'll be back?"

It felt like someone just stabbed a knife through my chest, and was twisting and turning it around in my heart. Finally the words slipped passed my lips, "She's not coming back." she voice shook as I said these words.

There was silence in the room for a moment, then Okumura-kun spoke, trying to make sense of it, "What do you mean? Did you guys fight?" he asked nervously. I slowly shook my head, "Then what? Why won't she be back?"

I stood up, "Because... Because she killed three men who weren't supposed to die!" I squeezed my arm, digging my nails into my skin, "The penalty for that is... death." the tears slipped out of my eyes as I finished talking. My nails dug into my skin deeper. It hurt, but I didn't mind it. Everyone stood there, shocked. Well, everyone but Kamiki-san.

The door slowly opened. Everyone but me looked to the door, expecting Okumura-sensei to be back. I was expecting to hear him say 'Everyone back to your seats, we'll resume here.'. But his voice never came. A female one did.

"Hello?" it was a soft, sweet voice that was familiar to me. My eyes widened when I heard it. It wasn't as soft and sweet as her normal voice, but.. It was her voice. I looked up. In the doorway stood a tall, skinny young girl, who looked about eighteen. Jet black hair and blue eyes, lined thick with eyeliner, and black lips. Silver snake-bite studs under her lips. She wore a black velvet corset that had silky black ribbons laced criss-crossed in the front, black skinny jeans, and black knee-high leather platform boots. Her bangs sat just below her eyebrows, and ran straight across her forehead, the rest of her hair fell straight, and ended jut above her shoulders.

"B-Bittersweet?" my voice cracked and shook as I spoke.

"That's my name." she smirked, "Miss me?" she winked at me.

"H-how?!" I could hardly speak.

"Well... It sorta went like this-" she said, "I went to Gehenna, and found Satan. I said 'Alright, you saw what happened, let's get this over with.' He then laughed at me, and told me that I was insane if I thought he'd let go of the best shinigami he has that easily, but I won't go unpunished, so... suspension for two weeks." she explained, adding a shrug at the end. She then opened her arms, and smiled. I smiled as the tears continued to flow, but now they fell out of happiness. I ran to her, and jumped into her arms. She hugged me tightly, and I cried into her chest. She chuckled.

We parted and I wiped my tears, "Oh, but there are a few things you guys should probably know. Where's Yukio?" she said, propping herself on my desk, crossing one leg over the other. Yeah.. that's definitely Bittersweet.

"He stepped out. He should be back soon." Okumura-kun said. He stared at her for a moment, "I've been meaning to ask- how tall are you, exactly? You're really tall for a girl!"

She giggled, "Without the boots, I'm only about a hundred seventy-two centimeters. But the boots add like... almost thirteen centimeters to that, so... a hundred eighty-four centimeters right now."

"How the hell did you get so tall?" Okumura-kun nearly flipped out over her height. Without the boots, she'd be shorter than him, but not by much. Guess the boots do her justice.

"Our bodies grow as we get stronger." she explained, "I'm a few centimeters over the average height for a female shinigami, so you can probably already guess that I'm also stronger than the average female."

"So.. shinigamis are naturally just.. tall?"

"That's correct."

"Hey! Bittersweet, you weren't in the dorm when I woke up. Why did you wait this long to tell me you were alive?!" I broke into their conversation.

"For the most part, I was talking to Mephisto." she groaned, "And I couldn't really go to you in class, because I can't be invisible to anyone like this."

I say back down at my desk and sighed, "You still should've told me sooner. Look at me! I'm a wreck!" I gestured to my messy hair, makeupless face, and messy uniform. She just laughed at my horrid appearance, "I also wasted my money on groceries that I never even brought home, thank you!"

"How is that last part my fault?" she whined.

We could both tell that the others were confused, but I didn't feel like explaining that I almost got.. killed or raped, I wasn't even sure which would've happened if Bittersweet never showed up. "It's not, but it still adds to my horrible couple days." I groaned. Just then, Okumura-sensei came in.

"Sorry for the wait, everyone." he said, giving a genuine smile to the class, "Now, return to your seats so that- I'm sorry, who are you?" he stopped when he saw Bittersweet.

"I don't look that different, do I?" she had a sarcastic offense tone in her voice as she spoke, "Keiko guessed who I was right away. I'm hurt!" she pouted.

"Ah, so it's you, Bittersweet. What happened?"

Bittersweet laughed, "Did you know I'm two-faced?" her head tilted to the side, "And I'm not talking about color. I really do have a dark side that no one wants to see." she shrugged, "I get angry easily, but last night my anger took over. Some guys were attacking Keiko, and I lost it."

"So even the 'oh-so-perfect' Bittersweet has a temper also." Okumura-kun said mockingly, since Bittersweet is always on his case about his temper.

Bittersweet shot him a glare before returning to her explanation, "Anyway, I killed them. But instead of getting the normal death penalty, I got a two week suspension, so I'll be human for two weeks."

"Alright, then. Anyway, let's continue." Okumura-sensei said, turning back to the board.

"Wait! There are some things everyone should know." she said.

"Hurry up and say it, then, we're behind schedule." he rushed.

"First of all, you should know that I'm about as well known as Satan in Gehenna." she started, "So, word travels fast that I've been suspended. In a state like this, I can be killed. Demons, powerful, strong, high level demons who normally don't stand a chance against me will come after me." she explained, "They will try to kill me. And if they have to, they'll kill anyone who gets in their way. Be wary of that. But if you don't want me around for the time being because of the risk, I understand."

"I-I don't want you to leave again!" I said, grabbing her arm, "I don't care what kind of demons come after you!"

The rest of the class stared at me in shock, especially Bittersweet. But then she smiled at me, "Then I won't go anywhere." she pulled her arm from my grip and ruffled my hair, "Ah, one more thing. It'd be weird if you call me 'Bittersweet' in public, so... Let's say my name is... Natsumi. Fujioka Natsumi."

The first couple days went by smoothly without any issues. Well, no issues from demons, at least. All instructors that came to teach us all kinds of different things were made aware of Bittersweet and her situation, and the possibility of demons coming after her. So all middle class and higher exorcists who were teaching the class had their guards up.

I'd recently gotten my familiar along with Kamiki-san and Shiemi-chan. Kamiki-san got her two Kitsune, and Shiemi-chan got a Greenman spirit. I have completely fallen in love with my little Goblin. He's small, but he's pretty powerful when it comes to attacking. He's also very lovable towards me, and Bittersweet said he treats me as if I were his mother. I normally keep him with me, on my shoulder, or in my lap, but when I'm out in public, I have to put him away, or leave him in my dorm, where he stays silently under my bed.

Ever since we got our familiars, Shiemi-chan has been trying to get Kamiki-san's attention. Porbably to become a friend. Shiemi-chan is the complete opposite of me. She feels lonely, so she aims to get friends. When no one became my friend, and I was lonely, I aimed to prove I was better, to show them that they weren't even worth my time.

Eventually, Kamiki-san gave in, but everyone except Shiemi-chan noticed that Kamiki-san was just using her as an errand girl. Okumura-kun was really troubled by it, but everyone else wanted to stay out of it. Me included. I'm not one for drama.

Okumura-sensei made us take practice exams as part of the training camp for the Exwire exam. After it was over, Okumura-kun went out for fresh air, and the girls left to take a bath. Well, except Bittersweet and me. Shima-kun was being his normal pervy self about the fact, and all the other guys were scolding him for it.

"If you go near those girls, I will kill you." Bittersweet said bluntly in a low voice, "I'm free to do so without punishment while I'm on suspension." her voice returned to it's normal sweet sound for that last part, and she smiled. _So her voice still changes when she's human?_ I observed. It's strange how she works, but I always thought of it as somewhat cool.

"Now, now, chill." he chuckled, "But I have to say, you're really cute when you're human, Bittersweet."

She flashed him a glare, "Just because I'm a human right now doesn't mean I have human morals. I will not hesitate when I slice through your skin and watch you bleed slowly to death." and with that, he backed off. I couldn't help but laugh. She sounded so serious, but I could tell it was just a simple threat she wouldn't actually go through with.

"I'm going to go join Okumura-kun outside." I said after stretching my arms and legs. I left the room after waving goodbye to everyone, and went outside.

When I got out there, Okumura-kun grabbed my shoulders and asked me in a pleading voice, "Suzuki-chan, please don't tell me you're just going to sit back and watch Kamiki-san treat Shiemi like this?"

"S-sorry, Okumura-kun. That isn't my business." I answered nervously.

"I know you're too sweet to think that this is okay."

"I don't think it's okay, but what can I do? I'm not really friends with any of them." I scratched the back of my neck, "If it bugs you so much, why don't you talk to Shiemi-chan?"

Okumura-kun's eyes got wide for a moment as if he'd never thought of that. I chuckled. It's obvious to me that he likes her a lot. I get it; he's nervous. I turned him around and pushed him forward, "They went to the bath." he looked back at me, "I assume Kamiki-san won't let Shiemi-chan in with her and Paku-san. You don't have to worry about walking in on something awkward." I assured him. He nodded slowly, and walked inside. I laughed and shook my head. _That boy is hopeless._

Suddenly there was a scream. It sounded like Kamiki-san and Paku-san. I quickly ran inside and headed toward the bathroom. Soon I caught up with Bittersweet, and then the two of us ran into the bathroom to find Paku-san on the floor with Shiemi-chan hovering over her with her familiar, Kamiki-san half naked and standing in terror, and Okumura-kun was being pinned down by a... ghoul?

"That's impossible." Bittersweet mumbled under her breath. I looked at her in confusion, "That's a mid-level ghoul. How is it here?" she cursed to herself, "You don't have your sword, do you?" I shook my head, "There's nothing I can do without my demon powers then."

We then heard Okumura-sensei shout, "NII-SAN!" as he burst in shooting at the ghoul. Bittersweet pushed me aside to get me at a safer distance from the bullets. Soon enough, everyone else was in the room, and the ghoul was gone. Okumura-sensei went to check on Paku-san's wounds.

"I don't understand." Bittersweet said to herself, "If a demon as high as that is here, why did it go after Rin and the girls?" she thought hard, "It didn't seem like it wanted anything to do with me. So then what?" she crossed her arms across her chest and sighed.

"Hey, don't worry. Everything's fine." I assured her.

"Yeah, but it still doesn't make sense." she mumbled, "Someone must've sent it with other motives than to hurt me. That's the only explaination, but.. who? And why?"


	7. Chapter 7

Since yesterday, Bittersweet has been distracting herself by thinking of reasons why that ghoul attacked Kamiki-san, Paku-san, and Okumura-kun. I tried getting her to relax, but she wouldn't. Not only that, but Kamiki-san has also been distracted as well, but she was probably just thinking about Paku-san.

During the Holy Scripture Recitation class, Kamiki-san was called on to recite a certain fatal verse that the instructor taught the last time she was there. But she forgot half-way through, and Suguro-kun was called on next, which he flawlessly recited. After everyone had applauded him, Kamiki-san made a snide remark, which sent the two into a fight with Okumura-kun in the middle. Since I sit behind him, Bittersweet and I were close to the action as well. Bittersweet had only rolled her eyes at them. Like me, she doesn't like to get fixed into drama, so the two of us stayed out of it.

Suguro-kun had grabbed Kamiki-san's collar during their fight, and Kamiki-san went to punch him, but Okumura-kun stood up, and got punched instead. After that, we were all sent to be punished. My one question was, why were we _all _being punished? I didn't even say a word, and still, I had the stupid Baryon rock on my lap. Bittersweet was the only one who got out of it since she's not a student. My legs ached from the weight being put on them.

"Now, then," Okumura-sensei said sternly, "have you all had time to reflect your bad behaviour?" he asked.

"Wh-why are we being punished?" Shima-kun asked.

"I didn't even say a word." I muttered to myself.

"This is what we call 'collective responsibility'." Okumura-sensei said, "The aims of this training camp are twofold. Firstly, to increase your abilities, and secondly, to deepen your relations with your fellow students."

Bittersweet chuckled silently to herself, as if mocking us. I looked at her, and she gave me a somewhat sympathetic look, but I could tell she was laughing at me, too.

"I refuse to get along with brutes!" Kamiki-san protested. Great, now she'll get us into even more trouble.

"Why you...!" Suguro-kun was about to scream at her with Okumura-kun in the middle yet again.

"I'm afraid that you will have to." Okumura-sensei stopped it before it started, thankfully, "No exorcist can fight alone!" he told us, "Making use of one another's specialties and compensating for one another's weak points; fighting in a party of two or more is basic procedure for any exorcist!"

"If you were to fall out like this in an actual battle, you would face collective responsibility on an entirely different level from this simple punishment." he added, "I would like you to think carefully about that."

Silence filled the room for no less than a moment when Okumura-sensei spoke up again after looking at his watch, "Now, then, I have a minor mission to attend to, so I will be leaving for about three hours." Everyone looked at him in shock and question. Why now?

He noted that he will be locking the exits due to the recent incident with the ghoul, and putting a powerful ward up as an added measure. He said he didn't want us to leave, but instead, see how well we could get along within the three hours. Everyone was groaning and complaining as he left. Suguro-kun and Kamiki-san almost started a fight again, but Okumura-kun did his best to stop it.

But then the lights went out. Everyone freaked out in shock, and Shima-kun turned on his phone light so we wouldn't be sitting in pitch blackness.

Bittersweet was trying to help us get the Baryon off of our legs, but in her current human state, even she struggled with it. In the end, everyone managed to push them off their legs themselves, but she did manage to at least help me.

Shima-kun went to check out the corridor, but when he opened the door, the ghoul from yesterday was there. It bursted through the door, and it sprayed out this.. black liquid stuff.

"Nii-chan!" Shiemi-chan quickly reacted, "I need Una-Una-kun!" to which her familiar responded with a small "Nii!", and the plant grew from it's stomach, building a barrier from the demon.

I started feeling dizzy, so I held my head in my palm and groaned. "Keiko, are you alright?" Bittersweet asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. The black liquid hadn't touched her; she wasn't in the range of it at the time. I assumed it was from that, as everyone else started getting affected as well.

"I feel kind of dizzy." Shiemi-chan said weakly.

"Ahh, I feel hot." Suguro-kun said, pulling on his collar. Everyone else was coughing.

"Huh? What's wrong, guys?!" Okumura-kun asked. Bittersweet shot him a weird look as she sat me down.

"It's because of that liquid the ghoul sprayed at us just now." Kamiki-san said, "Are you... not affected?" she questioned in surprise. Bittersweet kept her eyes glued to Okumura-kun, but I couldn't tell what she was thinking. My head was spinning to much to figure it out.

The room was filled with coughs and pants from all the students. I forced myself onto my feet, with protest from Bittersweet, of course. I used the window ledge for support so that I wouldn't collapse until my mind stopped spinning.

"It looks like... thanks to Moriyama-san's quick thinking, we're safe for now." Suguro-kun said, "But when Moriyama-san runs out of stamina, this tree barricade is gonna disappear." he said with concern in his voice, "When that happens, we really are done for."

Okumura-kun tried calling Okumura-sensei's phone, but he couldn't get a hold of him. "Ghouls are more active in dark than light." Suguro-kun mentioned.

"I-I know a spell that can create fire." Bittersweet said, "I don't know if it'll work without my demon powers. Since the fire would appear in my hands, I don't even know if I'd be able to take it." she looked down at her hands, "But I'm going to try it anyway. I can take pain, even like this." she sat down on her knees and placed her hands together. She shut her eyes tight and began saying a chant in some language no human could ever decipher. Her hands slowly moved apart as she finished the chant, and she opened her eyes. But nothing happened. "Damn." she cursed under her breath, "Sorry guys. Guess that spell is a demon thing only."

"Don't worry about it. We'll figure something out." I dismissed it, shaking my head.

"Two of 'em, huh?" Okumura-kun mumbled to himself, "I'll head outside and draw them out." he announced, a determined smile on his face. Everyone turned their attention to him, looking at him as if he were crazy, "If I can get both of them following me, then the rest of you run for it." he told us.

"A-are you crazy?!" Suguro-kun questioned him.

"If they don't follow me," Okumura-kun ignored him, "I'll see what I can do about finding help or at least getting some light in here."

"What?!" Suguro-kun continued to queston him, "What're you talking about?!"

"Don't you worry about me." Okumura-kun turned around, "I'm pretty strong." he said as he started climbing through the branches of the barricade.

"You id-" Suguro-kun started, but when he realized Okumura-kun wasn't about to stop, he called out, "Hey! Okumura! Get back here!" but Okumura-kun wasn't listening.

Bittersweet was looking in his direction, her eyes squinted as if she were studying him carefully. Once he was out of sight between the branches, she shook her head and turned to the back of the room.

Okumura-kun had only managed to drive one of the ghouls away, and Shiemi-san was losing energy quickly. And without Bittersweet's demon powers, it won't be an easy fight. It was obvious she was thinking the same thing; she seemed frustrated.

"Bittersweet, it's okay. We got this." I said confidently.

She looked back at me and smiled, "I'm not entirely useless, you know. I still have all my martial arts and weaponry training in mind." she sighed, "But as far as exorcism goes, I don't have a clue about that."

"Despite your loss of magic, you're still one of the strongest fighters amongst us." I noted, "Just back us up if we need it, like you always do." she smiled and nodded.

"I'm gonna try a recital." Suguro-kun stated. The rest of us turned to him.

"Bon, but you don't know this thing's fatal verse, surely?" Konekomaru questioned nervously.

"I don't, no." he said, "But I do know that ghoul-type demons' fatal verses tend to come out of the Gospel of St. John." he assured, "I've memorized the whole thing already. So if I just recite it all, it'll respond to something."

"All of it?" Shima-kun asked, surprised, "There are more than twenty chapters aren't there?!"

"There are twenty-one." Konekomaru confirmed, "I've memorized chapters one through ten myself. Allow me to help."

"Konekomaru, thanks!" Suguro-kun said.

"Wait.. Hold one just one moment!" Izumo-san cut in, "If you start reciting, they'll go for you the moment they break through!"

"Is this really the time?!" Suguro-kun glared at her, "That girl's workin' her ass off there!" he pointed over to Shiemi-san, "You expect us guys to just stand here and do nothing?!"

That's our Bon for ya! He's a real man." Shima-kun said with a smile, and somehow pulled out his staff from.. somewhere, "Well, I haven't memorized a single verse of that thing! So I'll be your back up if it comes to that." he announced proudly.

"Count me in, too!" I raised my hand, "Bittersweet, toss me my sword." I told her. She nodded, and grabbed the katana she'd gotten for me when she began teaching me. She tossed it to me, and I caught it, quickly unsheathing it from it's case, and held the blade at a safe distance in front of me, just like Bittersweet taught me.

"Shima... Suzuki-san... Thank you." Suguro-kun said. I nodded to him with a confident smile.

"Th-this is insane!" Izumo-san protested.

"You've been actin' like a toughie this whole time," Suguro-kun said coldly, "but when push comes to shove, you just wanna run?" before Izumo-san could say anything, Suguro-kun added, "If you're not gonna fight, just stay back." and then he pushed aside the issue, "Konekomaru, you start from chapter one, and I'll start from chapter eleven. Don't let me put you off!"

"Right!"

"Let's do this!"

The two of them sat on the ground and began reciting the verses. Shima-kun and I stood in front of them, Shima's staff drawn and ready, and my sword's blade pointed out. Bittersweet was close behind us, ready to back us up if we needed it. This shouldn't be too hard if we all work together.

After a while, Konekomaru finished the ten chapters he memorized, and Suguro-kun was on the final chapter. The ghoul hasn't broken through yet, it was only a matter of time before either it broke through, or Shiemi-san collapsed. We could only hope he gets to that thing's fatal verse before either of those things happen.

But unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Shiemi-san collapsed, and the barrier disappeared. The ghoul made a gurgling sound, and Shima-kun went to attack it so that it'd stay away from Suguro. He stabbed at it, and I stayed close behind him to back him up. I noticed Izumo-san went to help Shiemi-san before I turned away and focussed on the ghoul.

I was surprised at how well Shima-kun was doing fighting that thing off. I half expected him to chicken out last second, and leave it all up to me. I smiled, thankful it didn't end up like that. And then I heard Izumo-san starting to say the chant to summon her familiars. Finally.

Somehow the ghoul made it passed the two of us, and went after Suguro-kun. But then Izumo-san sent her Kitsune after it, and they managed to keep it away from him for a while, but it also broke free of that. It grabbed Suguro-kun by the throat, but he continued to recite the verse. The lights came back on, and the ghoul weakened a bit, which gave Suguro-kun the chance to finish the verse, and the ghoul disappeared, dropping him to his knees.

I sighed of relief that no one was too badly hurt. And then Okumura-kun appeared in the doorway.

"Hey! Are you okay?!" he asked, seeing how shocked everyone was to see that he was completely unharmed.

"Y-y-y-you... where's the other...?!" Suguro-kun tried to speak, but couldn't get a full sentence out.

"Hm? OH, I beat it!" he said happily, "You guys beat the other one too? Nice goi-"

Bon threw a punch at Okumura-kun, screaming, "TH-THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" the punsh sent Okumura-kun flying to the ground, "YOU FUCKING IDIOT! WERE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED?!" I heard Bittersweet chuckle at the two. I smiled to myself, glad she's still herself despite everything. I know just a small curve ball thrown at her won't do much to a tough girl like her, but reguardless, I'm happy.

Okumura-sensei then came in the door. "Sensei!" Suguro-kun said in surprise when he came in.

"Yukio!" Okumura-kun also said at the same time.

Following behind Okumura-sensei was Neigauz-sensei, and Okumura-kun seemed really surprised to see him especially. "Y-Yukio! He's an ene-" he started, but was cut off by Sir Pheles suddenly popping in from the... ceiling... and onto Okumura-kun's back.

"Oh my, excuse me!" he said.

"Mephisto?" Bittersweet tilted her head to the side, an eyebrow raised.

"Thanks for your hard work, all you Pages!" Sir Pheles said happily, ignoring Bittersweet entirely, "Of course there was a reason why I, the Chairman, would allow the invasion of upper class demons!" he said with a smirk. And suddenly a lot more of the teachers came out from hiding places in the floor, ceiling, closets, and other places, "These Doctor class senseis will treat everyone's wounds."

Everyone was confused, even Bittersweet. Sir Pheles noticed this, and explained everything, "That's right! Don't you see?" he exclaimed, "This training camp has also served a purpose as the Exorcist Authorization Exam!" he explained, "While you were lodging together, I posted these teachers everywhere to act as judges." he said, "We tested all of you with a fine-toothed comb." he smiled and held up a finger, "Afterwards, I'll read the teacher's reports, and make my final decision about who has passed the exam! Please look forward to tomorrow's announcement!"

**A/N: This took way too long! Sorry! School and art projects got me all tied up, and I couldn't write! But anyway, first chapter that follows a chapter of the manga! Expect more of these, of course with some things added since I added characters. It just takes a bit longer since I have to go back and fourth between Word and the manga pages online. 's kind of a pain in the ass! Anyway, enjoy~**


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